Griffonian Empire
Grover I, the First Emperor Since time immemorial, Griffons have fought for wealth and power, with no king or country strong enough to unite the others. However, in 705 ALB, Grover, '''King of Griffonstone used the ''Idol of Boreas'', an artifact of incredible power, to defeat the two most powerful Kingdoms on Griffonia - Aquileia and Wingbardy. After their submission, Grover claimed the title of Kaiser, or Emperor, which quickly prompted the rest of the continent to bend the knee. 'Grover I, '''as he would become known, had achieved the impossible and united the griffons under a single leader, creating a dynasty that would last 300 years. However, Grover’s conquests were not over. He moved the capital to Griffenheim, a key position on the convergence of the Griffking river, and began looking North. When it became clear that Albert Plumenjar, the Duke of Cloudbury, was in a vital position to unite the Northern duchies, Grover I supported him with arms. In 713 ALB, When Albert finally united the duchies in a short and decisive war, he bent the knee to Grover, leading to a mutually beneficial relationship that would leave the Empire with control over the North and a stepping stone into the Kingdom of Vedina. After his early conquests, Grover continued to secure the Griffonian continent for another 70 years. In 728 ALB, Grover founded the University of Free City of Romau, a beacon of higher learning that attracted more and more griffons to his new Empire in search of a greater future. In later years, Romau would become a prosperous Imperial free city, and the University would continue to attract the sharpest minds in Griffonia. In 747 ALB, Grover crossed the Creeper Mountains, beginning his decisive Eastern campaign, where he crushed the Principality of Lushi and associated Prywhenian principalities. Then, Grover moved into the lands of the Minotaurs, seizing their coastal states and creating the County of Cyanolisia. Grover I’s ambitions were not sated, and so he moved further east. The Zaphzian cossacks were reformed into the Gryphian Host, a loyal march to the Empire, and 4 years later, Grover I’s mercenaries sacked Jezeragrad, his first main attack against pony forces in the East. In 783 ALB, Grover I founded Nova Griffonia on the continent of Equus, beginning his first Equusian conflict against the Polar Bear Communities and Kingdom of Pingland natives. Grover II, The Warmonger In 785 ALB, Grover I died. Grover II, the new Emperor, was met with much skepticism from the Griffonian populace, especially the particularly rebellious Kingdom of Aquilea, which rebelled against Grover only a day after his coronation. At the same time, forces led by the ponies of Nimbusia invaded the Gryphian Host, seeking to undo the efforts of Grover I’s eastern campaigns. However, Grover II was much more of a capable commander than his enemies believed. He crushed the Aquilean rebellion and left most of the country in ashes as his feudal Imperial Army marched through the Aquilean countryside. Rumor has it he beat the Aquilean king to death with his own claws and took his third child, Giselda Discret as his bride, marrying her in the Aquilean Temple of Arcturius, which was a ruin due to Grover II’s brutal war. Despite the circumstances surrounding their marriage, Giselda proved to be a capable wife, and while Grover II was out on his conquests, Giselda Discret made his enemies disappear. Shortly after that, the armies of Nimbusia were crushed, and Grover II solidified himself as a capable military leader and Emperor. Grover II, occupied with administration of the empire, passed rulership of Griffinstone and the Idol of Boreas to his brother Guto, who faithfully guarded it. This arrangement split the family, creating two royal lines descended from Grover II and Guto. Grover II, after his early military victories, would begin a campaign in the East that surpassed his fathers. He took over Asterion, subjugated Sicameon, and sanctioned the first Eternal Crusades against the Eastern ponies. These crusades consumed the next 40 years of his reign, and he died in one of them against a simple Nimbusian foot soldier. Grover III, The Unifier It is said that while Grover I and II conquered the Empire, Grover III truly made it whole. Grover III is credited for the stabilization of the Empire following the numerous wars in the East and South. The new Emperor established and revitalized a strong, centralized Imperial army, ensured the loyalty of his new subject lords, who had begun to grow angry and weary at Herzlander rule. Largely considered to be one of the best Grovers, Grover III was scarred from his father's military experiences at a young age and began a prosperous and peaceful reign - although many who disagreed with him or grew too powerful were simply disposed of... In 854, on the year of his coronation, Grover III restored democratic rights in Sicameon on the condition that they pledged full loyalty to the Empire - but in 862, he murdered Kihai de Kissau, the first Prince to unify both Brodfeld and Sydia, who was growing too powerful for the Empire's tastes. Perhaps it could be said that these were his only major foreign policy adventures before his death in 914, after sixty years of peace, prosperity, and Imperial glory. Grover IV, The Glutton Historians are deeply divided on their views about Grover IV, the fourth Emperor of all Griffons. His supporters believe his reign to be a continuation of the peace and prosperity of Grover III's, with the Empire largely staying out of foreign conflicts and participating in industrial and social reforms. He was an extremely competent administrator who expanded the centralization and modernization policies of his predecessor. He was adored by the commoners for his expansive reforms of the Imperial economic system, and was believed to have halted major Republican revolution efforts until, his supporters say, the corrupt administration of Grover V reverted his reforms. His critics view him as the Emperor that destroyed the Empire and begun its downward spiral into decay and revolution. He was socially inept and utterly uncharismatic, and the nobles despised him for his pro-commoner and anti-nobility reforms. He was a glutton and famously loved chocolate, and historians generally agree that this is what led to his stroke and death in 970 ALB. He was known to be brutally honest, so much so that he had almost no allies among the nobility. However history may speak of Grover IV, all agree he died in 970 ALB - and that was one of the acts that truly shattered the Empire. Grover V, The Weak Grover V, the sickly ten-year-old son of Grover IV, became the new Emperor in 970 ALB, just 8 years before the Republican Revolution shattered his country. His distant relative, Guto VI, was to be the regent, but bad went to worse, as a monstrous cyclops attacked Griffinstone, slew Guto VI and stole the Idol of Boreas. As Grover's regency dragged on, however, corruption, decadence, and mismanagement reigned as nobles attempted to use their power for personal gain. The nobles were accused of the assassination of the Wingbardian King in 972 ALB, leading to Wingbardy's secession and the subsequent declaration of independence by King Gerad Discret of Aquileia. Grover IV's reforms were rolled back, and the commoners rioted for their restoration. The proud bureaucracy was left to decay, and the Empire's role in preserving the peace faded as nobles and kingdoms feuded more and more openly. Chaos, mismanagement, and conspiracy converged in 978 ALB, as hundreds of thousands of commoners marched on Imperial Palace. While the Emperor managed to escape to the countryside unharmed with the help of the loyal Archon Eros VII, most if not all of Grover V's regency was lynched. An Imperial Officer named Kemerskai, along with many other mutinous officers, declared his loyalty to the revolution and proclaimed himself President-Marshal of the new (and short-lived) Griffonian Republic. The Current State of the Empire The Griffonian Republic was short-lived, falling to a counter-revolution in 979 ALB. The republican loyalists fled to the north, led by Kemerskai, and the nobility restored the young Emperor 'Grover V to the throne, but the revolution had taken its toll on the Griffonian people. Despite the Imperial restoration, the damage had already been done, as much of the country was in utter chaos. Out of the many lords, princes, and kings of Griffonia, only those in the Imperial Heartlands remained loyal to the young Emperor - and even that could be considered a stretch, as they maintained almost complete autonomy from the capital. The lands of the former Empire descended into an orgy of violence, bloodshed and destruction for nearly thirty years, as local powers rushed to fill the vacuum and attempt to create their own empires and kingdoms. Civil wars, border conflicts, widespread banditry, and the clash of kings and lords led to millions upon millions dead, uncountable amounts of orphans, and complete economic and societal collapse. The chaos has begun to calm, as borders have settled and war-weary griffons return to their farmsteads,, if only to avoid starvation. Scholars predict that soon a new wave of centralzsation and wars are to be expected in coming years, as the most powerful recovering states snap up local neighbours and formalzse a post-Empire world. The old Empire the world once knew is now long dead. The sickly Grover V is growing old and seems set to repeat his father's tragedy, as his son is still too young to rule. Hoping to avoid another disastrous regency, the powers of the Empire are determined to unite behind a single regent with the powers of an Emperor. The three orders of Archons are sure to press the claim of Archon Eros VII of Boreas, backed by popular mandate, while the powerful nobility would prefer Duchess Gabriela, '''Grover's cousin and closest and most trusted friend '''to ensure an orderly transition that prefers the status quo in the recovery while allowing limited reforms. Despite the Empire's sad state, the idea of a united Griffonia still resonates deep within the hearts of every griffon. Be wary, for there are many who will fight tooth and nail to make sure that the dream of a united Griffonia comes to pass once more, but there are many more who shall ensure this dream remains just that - a dream...